Our Story was Bittersweet
by CometCharm
Summary: A collection of short stories as time passes by for the princess and her sorcerer: Love wasn't something that either of them would have expected to happen, but it did. Maybe it materialized from the many times that she insisted and the many times that he said "Yes," or maybe it just...happened. [Cedric/Sofia]
1. The Gardens

**8-Year Old Sofia, Many Years Ago**

 _"Mr. Ceeedric!"_

The man in question stiffened, rolling his eyes heavenward as he looked over his shoulder at the bright-eyed, inquisitive girl now standing behind him. She was smiling, her face glowing with excitement. _What_ was it now? She had the nerve to visit his workshop almost daily, evading his failed attempts to take her amulet, —seemingly purposefully so—, and her constant, cheerful countenance did nothing to brighten his sour mood. The princess' naiveté and persistence irritated him, most likely because, in the end, she always convinced him to go along with whatever silly plan she had in mind.

"It's _Cedric._ What do you want?" he replied nonchalantly, half-listening to her response as he carefully put two drops of an elixir into the mix that he was brewing.

"Well, our school is doing a botany project, and I was wondering if you could help me. Maybe? We have to go out into the gardens and pick the correct herbs that correspond with the labels. I'm not sure if I'm getting it right, though, and since you're _such_ an expert on potion-making, it'd really help me a lot," Sofia replied coyly, completely unaware of Cedric's annoyance.

"Princess Sofia, I have better things to do than help a silly little princess with her school projects," Cedric replied, his narrowed, half-lidded eyes flicking over to hers. She watched him walk to-and-from his desk to the large pot where he was brewing his potion, suddenly curious.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, just making a potion for Wormy. He hasn't been feeling very well lately," Cedric replied. Sofia's eyes widened when she realized this. She glanced over at Wormy's perch, noting his absence. Ah, so that's why he hadn't snarked at her when she'd entered. She was wondering about that.

"Aww, poor guy. What happened?"

"I'm not so sure. He just refuses to eat or come back downstairs," Cedric muttered absentmindedly.

"Why don't you take him out with you into the gardens? Birds are animals, after all. Maybe some fresh air will help," Sofia offered, and Cedric stopped, processing this.

"Yes, I suppose so, though Wormy doesn't like going out much. I'll finish this potion for him first."

She smiled, then, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"It's a deal, then? The gardens?"

 _Oh, Merlin's mushrooms._

Cedric glowered at her as her eyes lighted up in triumph.

"Do I have a choice?"

* * *

Cedric's sunken eyes squinted in the sunlight. After much coaxing on his part, he had finally convinced Wormy to join him. The stubborn raven seemed to be doing much better now than before, though he had remained perched on his master's shoulder the whole time. It was irritating that Sofia had the ability to manipulate him so easily, while the sorcerer failed when he attempted to use the same tactics on her to get her to hand over the amulet.

How annoying.

He brushed off the leaves that had settled on his robe, clearly unamused. Today had been perfectly fine before the princess had forced him to go out in the stuffy, thick weather. The heat was sweltering.

Sofia was thinking of quite different things.

She reveled in the brilliant, iridescent flowers that vibrantly flourished in colors she had never seen before, though her favorites were the white ones. She didn't mind the heat at all, especially since her dress was, thankfully, short-sleeved. The sun-tinted leaves extended high above her, sending scattered shadows across her face, and then a _wind,_ oh, a glorious, sweet wind, came rushing by. Spring had finally come after a long, cold winter, and she was enamored with it. She turned to see Cedric adjusting his robe uncomfortably.

"Mr. Ceedric, aren't you hot? You should take off your bow. I don't want you to get a rash," Sofia said, mildly concerned for her sorcerer.

"It's Cedric. And no, I'm fine, princess. Let's get this over with," Cedric replied, though his face was flushed by the heat.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to be the reason for you to get sick, too! Here, let me help you take off your bow," Sofia insisted, and Cedric sighed, kneeling down before her on one knee. It was a peculiar position, almost as if he was proposing to the child, a concept so foreign to him that it repulsed him. It was even more peculiar how light and efficient her little fingers were. He was overcome with a surge of gratefulness once the bow was untied. His throat felt much less constricted, and he relished the kiss of cool air against his neck as the sweat evaporated off of his skin.

"Thank you, Princess Sofia," he said, and Sofia beamed up at him.

"You're welcome, Mr. Ceedric," she replied shyly, and Cedric rolled his eyes again, irritated once more.

"It's Cedric."

They continued onwards, Sofia listing off the herbs that her school had assigned to her, and Cedric pointing them out, with quite ease, to her. It was...almost pleasurable, though he didn't dare admit that. Wormwood seemed to be doing much better, as well. He even flew off of his master's shoulder to take a look around the gardens, at which Cedric shook his head in bewilderment. Quite odd things were happening today.

"Annnd, that's it! Thank you so much, Mr. Ceedric!" Sofia announced, checking off the final herb on the list. She grinned widely at him, her hand gripping the tangle of herbs that they had just collected. In response, Cedric smiled softly down at her, his eyes bright with good humor. He didn't bother to correct her this time. Her smiles were infuriatingly contagious, especially since they seemed so genuine in comparison to the small, forced ones that everyone else directed at him.

"I didn't have a choice, did I?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _As you've most likely noticed, this work of fanfiction is "In-Progress" and will consist of many sweet, short stories of Cedric and Sofia. I'll be posting the next short story of this sometime soon. Thank you for readin_ g!


	2. The Waltz

**Author's Note:** _And, finally! I've been working a lot on a personal book on mine lately, so that's why I haven't been able to update this fanfiction for a while. I'll try to post more often, but it'll probably take a while for me to get back into the groove again. (Also, I've been having some writer's block when it comes to Cedfia.) Thank you for being patient!_

* * *

"Mr. Cedric, I need your help!" Sofia exclaimed upon entering, and Cedric, startled by her outburst, dropped the vial of the potion that he had been working on. He whimpered pitifully as the acidic mixture hissed at his feet.

"How many times have I told you, Princess Sofia? _D_ _on't_ interrupt a sorcerer at work!" he growled, cleaning up the mess that the potion had made, and Wormwood cawed in agreement. At least she had gotten his name right. When had that come to be? He shook his thoughts out of his head. It didn't matter. It was good to hear her pronounce his name correctly now, instead of that awful, high-pitched _Ceedric_ that still made him shudder when he thought about it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cedric, but it's urgent!" Sofia insisted, tugging at the sleeve of his robe. He looked down to meet her wide, blue eyes gazing innocently up at him. He made a point of yanking his arm away.

"Oh, what it is it now?" he muttered grudgingly.

"Follow me, and I'll show you!" she replied, and she led him downstairs. With an exaggerated roll of his eyes skyward, he let her drag him to heaven-knows-where. She did this often, making a point to mention that she did this because she "only wanted to hang out" with him...her _friend_. Him? Hanging out with an 8-year-old girl as "friends?" Ridiculous.

"Here!" she said. He looked at his surroundings. She had brought him to the ballroom, but it was empty. Well, not exactly empty. There were a couple of streamers. And balloons? Why in the world were there balloons? His brow furrowed into a confused frown.

She smiled, looking up at him whilst grinning. He just stared at her.

"Surprise!" she shouted.

Silence.

"Princess Sofia, if this is some kind of joke..." he said warningly.

She continued to smile at him, then inched away, kicking one of the tables.

"Psst," she gritted out through her teeth.

Suddenly, as if that word had ignited something within the world, a huge flurry of confetti was thrown from the ceiling, and the room erupted in cheers. Nearly everyone in the castle popped out of every hiding place imaginable, big, idiotic smiles stretched across their faces.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

He was speechless, only managing a single word.

"Oh."

"Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday," Sofia said shyly, beaming up at him. He was shocked. He _had_ forgotten it. He'd been so obsessed with her amulet, —it produced a light that glinted in his face just then, as if to spite him—, that he hadn't given the important date any thought at all.

"How did you find out?" he asked, and, as if on cue, Roland stepped forward, giving him a firm pat on the back.

"Happy birthday to our favorite sorcerer!" he congratulated grinning.

"Favorite...sorcerer?"

Cedric was in awe. He felt an odd, warm buzzing in his chest, especially since everyone was coming up to him with shouts of congratulations. Maids dropped in with a curtsy, bringing with them an assortment of appetizers. One of them, to his delight, was pie. Pie! When was the last time that he had actually eaten that? He hadn't been a big fan of meals ever since his stay at the castle, only sticking to the foods that would provide the sole nutritional value that he needed. Pie was a treat that he rarely allowed himself to eat.

"And every birthday boy needs a crown," Baileywick said, in that ever-so-sophisticated nature of his, presenting a golden, flower-ridden crown. He placed it carefully on Cedric's double-toned head, and Cedric leaned back on his heels in awe. The smell of faint lilac wafted to his senses, and it was sweet, subtle.

"Sofia added the flowers to it," Amber continued. Cedric looked down at Sofia, who was smiling, hands clasped in form of a prayer. She looked as if she had seen the most beautiful sight in the world, her eyes dazzling like a thousand stars.

"It's lovely, Sofia," he said, and her expression, if possible, glowed even brighter.

It wasn't the King's crown, not the crown that he had coveted for so long, not the crown that he longed to hold in his hands one day. Not at all. But he found that he liked it even better. The flowers gave it a nice touch.

" _Well,_ I think the birthday boy should also start off this party with a dance, shouldn't he?" Amber suggested coyly. She blinked with disinterested amusement as she glanced down at her fingernails. Everyone in the room knew who he was going to pick.

Cedric, his smiling, amber eyes fixed on Sofia, kneeled before her, offering his gloved hand toward hers.

"Sofia, would you do me the honor of this dance?"

She took his hand without hesitation, and then they waltzed, —albeit awkwardly—, across the smooth, ballroom floor. It was pleasant, her little hand in his, her giggles when she accidentally stepped on his toe multiple times. He was smiling, wasn't he? He was undeniably happy. Him? Dancing with an 8-year-old girl, a girl who was his friend? Ridiculous.

But it was perfect.


End file.
